Department of Energy says: 'A cool butt is a hot way to save gas'

[Antoine]

Department of Energy says: 'A cool butt is a hot way to save gas'

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http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/03/21b.jpg (http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109592)

The Department of Energy says that having a hot booty isn't necessarily a good thing. In fact, it argues that ventilated seats (like those of the Cadillac STS that pull away warm air and moisture), could save as many as<!--StartFragment --> 522 million gallons of gas if all cars on the road were equipped with the technology. How so? The DOE reasons that if drivers' rumps and backsides are kept comfortable, fewer people would find it necessary to turn on the air-conditioning... thus saving money and the environment.

The catch? Vented seats generally only come on higher-end models, and are often high-cost options bundled in with other features.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]


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[Raynman]

Seems counterintuitive. The butt is really close to the core, whereas the extremities are the furthest. I know when I'm cold, because I feel the chill at my feet and legs.

[dmitrik4]

????

the article is talking about keeping you feeling cooler, not warmer. if your butt (and thus, your core) is cooler, you won't be as inclined to turn on the A/C, which works on your extremities first. A/C only works on one side of your body; the really hot part is sandwiched against the seat, away from any ventilation. it's not counterintuitive at all.

[Raynman]

Whoops. I thought the article was about heating... (braindead

[vindication]

you know a better way to save gas? stop putting these huge fuckin engines on cars that cant go over 65mph legally. who the fuck needs a daily driven 500hp SUV(or other vehicle) that gets 10mpg? idiots

[mikeyb]

Seems counterintuitive. The butt is really close to the core, whereas the extremities are the furthest. I know when I'm cold, because I feel the chill at my feet and legs.

Put a winter hat on.

[Hughes412]

you know a better way to save gas? stop putting these huge fuckin engines on cars that cant go over 65mph legally. who the fuck needs a daily driven 500hp SUV(or other vehicle) that gets 10mpg? idiots


Who needs one??

I do, that way the next time a want-to-be ricer cuts me off I can run over him! While cooling my buns and saving the world. (thumb)

[cheapmiata1600]

Unfortunately, most cars that come with heated/vented seats also have fully automatic climate control systems that run the A/C compressor almost all the time. Also, most people with $50k+ cars would rather not arrive at their destination all sweaty, and can also afford to spend a few bucks extra per month on gas.

Also, my P5 is the first car I've owned that takes a HUGE gas mileage hit running the A/C.

[chuyler1]

I wonder if we could redirect the air from the floor vents into our seats in the P5. How do the the cooling seats work anyway?